[one shot] Third Time's The Charm?

Oct 03, 2015 23:21

Title: Third Time’s The Charm?
Pairing: Youngjae/Yugyeom, one-sided Youngjae/Suzy, one-sided Youngjae/JB
Rating: PG-13
Length: 2.4k
Summary: Suzy was an untouchable dream; Jaebum was a bolt from the blue; Yugyeom is…

“On behalf of myself and my darling new wife,” Jinyoung pauses his speech to lift Suzy’s hand to his lips and delicately press a kiss into her skin. A giggle bubbles out of Suzy’s glossy lips while her already rosy cheeks redden even more and she playfully swats Jinyoung’s head with her other hand. Jinyoung quickly shifts his head to catch the fingers of her other hand in a kiss. A wave of cheers and clinking of glasses sweeps through the wedding hall. Youngjae rolls his eyes and takes another sip of his champagne.

When the racket starts to die down, Jinyoung finally resumes his speech. “I’d like to thank you all for coming and taking part in what has undoubtedly been the happiest day of my life. The very day that I met Suzy, I felt a connection to her, and I knew that she would become someone very special to me.”

“So did I,” Youngjae mutters under his breath. It’s been seven years, but rehashing this story never fails to bring out the heartbroken fifteen year old who hurled water balloons at a wall, imagining it was his cousin’s face, when he first heard they were dating.

Youngjae shakes off his adolescent resentment just in time to see Jinyoung smile sappily at a beaming Suzy before he lifts his microphone to his lips and starts crooning, the sound of twinkly piano music filling the wedding hall. The stage lights make Suzy’s necklace and earrings sparkle beautifully, her sweet, melodic voice further dazzling the audience as she joins Jinyoung in song.  Glancing around the hall, Youngjae can see younger and older female relatives-single and married -on both sides dabbing their eyes with handkerchiefs and sighing wistfully. If he’s absolutely honest with himself, he can understand their feelings, after all Jinyoung and Suzy make a perfect couple. But that’s precisely why he’s so annoyed-they’re too perfect.

“Oh, shit,” Youngjae ducks his head when he nearly catches gazes with a pair of piercing eyes. He mentally counts off twenty seconds before he cautiously lifts his head and glances at the top table. Jaebum shifts again, but when he’s not smiling up at the stage, he’s turning to grin at someone at the next table.

Youngjae exhales in relief even as he fleetingly feels a flutter of disappointment in his stomach. Although the older man probably only thinks of Youngjae as his best friend’s quiet little cousin, Jaebum is someone that Youngjae will never be able to forget. Youngjae had been single-mindedly infatuated with Suzy for so long that it never occurred to him that he could be attracted to another women, never mind another man. Jaebum was a gateway to whole new world that Youngjae didn’t even knew existed, and his presence went a long way in helping Youngjae get over Suzy.

Youngjae snaps back to the present as the sound of applause fills his ears. When he looks up at the stage, Jinyoung and Suzy are gone. In their place, Suzy’s father is thanking everyone for coming and inviting them to eat and drink and dance. Youngjae remains in his seat a while longer, slowly sipping his half-empty glass of champagne. At this point in time, with the actual ceremony over and the partying beginning, he’s not sure when he can safely make his leave. Maybe when Suzy and Jinyoung say their final goodbyes and set off for their honeymoon.

In the meantime, he sits back and watches the brave few who have already taken their place on the dancefloor. His eyebrows jump in surprise and his mouth falls open when he spots Jaebum. In the four years that Youngjae has known the older man he’s never pictured him as the kind of person to  dance in public without abandon-at least not while sober-but the man dancing with him probably has something to do with that.

Youngjae has only met Jackson a handful of times, but he’s left an impression on Youngjae as a man with a bright smile, a loud laugh and a love of life. In the short time since the start of the ceremony, he’s already charmed his way into the good graces of a good number of the extended relatives and acquaintances of the bride and groom, and more and more people are gradually making their way to the dancefloor on his encouragement. As much as Youngjae held a bit of a grudge against his cousin for stealing Suzy away, he couldn’t bring himself to harbour any real animosity towards Jackson. Even if he tried, the other man would probably charm it out of Youngjae anyway, he thinks with chuckle.

Finding his flute empty, Youngjae finally gets up from his seat and makes his way to the other side of the hall to get himself a fresh drink. He’s halfway back to his seat with his drink when the music suddenly changes.

“Oh, Suzy-unni is about to head off with her husband now!”

Youngjae turns and takes in the last image of Suzy and Jinyoung waving at everyone from the door out of the hall. Suzy’s hand is tightly clutching Jinyoung’s arm at his elbow and Jinyoung is biting his lower lip in that way he does when he’s feeling overwhelmed. Youngjae can feel his expression softening as he looks at them and he can’t help but chuckle slightly.

“Good luck,” he whispers a toast to their retreating backs.

“So, which one were you in love with?”

Youngjae chokes on his drink, coughing and sputtering as the bubbly liquid is forced into his windpipe. When he manages to get most of the liquid out of his nose and lungs, he turns to the person beside him.

“What?!”

“Just wondering,” the man shrugs sheepishly, looking a bit caught out. “You’ve only been staring hard at them the entire time.”

“Who doesn’t stare at the bride and groom at a wedding?” Youngjae shoots back.

“No, no, no,” the stranger shakes his head and wags his finger. “People watch the bride and groom, you were practically scanning them. And then there’s that weird thing you had with the best man. There’s definitely a story behind that.”

“Yeah, well…how would you even know that unless you were staring at me the entire time?” Youngjae sputters out, his face getting warm.

For a long moment, he and the strange man stand in awkward silence.

“I’m going to get a drink,” the other man says after a while.

“Me too.”

“You already have a drink,” the other man points out, his eyebrow rising.

Youngjae gulps down his champagne, trying not to choke. “No, I don’t,” he coughs slightly.

“You really are a character,” the other man chuckles as they head off to the drinks bar. “So, are you bride’s side or groom’s side?”

“Groom’s side, the groom’s cousin to be precise.”

“…I really hope that you were in love with the bride,” the stranger says with a grimace.

“Of course!” Youngjae slaps the other man’s shoulder. He realises his mistake when a smug grin breaks out on the other man’s face. “Shut. Up!” Youngjae slaps his shoulder twice more.

“I knew it,” he laughs. “Was there some kind of makjang-type drama involving you, the bride and groom, and the best man?”

Youngjae speeds up his steps, refusing to dignify that with an answer.

“My name’s Yugyeom, Kim Yugyeom, by the way. What’s yours?”

Youngjae mentally debates giving him the cold shoulder for a few seconds before he replies. “I’m Choi Youngjae. Are you from the bride’s side, then?” Youngjae asks as they finally make it to the bar.

“Uh, technically I’m from the groom’s side, I guess.”

“Did you gate crash this wedding?” Youngjae squints at him.

Yugyeom aims a kicks at Youngjae’s shin, “I’m the plus one of the best man’s little sister.”

“That’s a tenuous connection,” Youngjae snorts. “Have you even seen Jinyoung before today?” He’s half-joking, but Yugyeom pauses for a second with his drink at his lips, his eyes searching for something in the distance. “You haven’t, have you?”

“There’s, like, five hundred people here, it’s only natural that not everyone would be close to the bride and/or groom,” Yugyeom shrugs. “And I gave them money, so no-one can say I’m a lousy guest.”

“Alright,” Youngjae nods in concession.

That’s the end of their conversation, but the following silence doesn’t feel awkward even though they both just met. For a long time, the two of them occupy a corner of the hall, their backs against the walls and their arms brushing as they sip their drinks. Ever since Suzy and Jinyoung left, the music has been getting progressively louder, and right about now Youngjae can practically feel his brain rattling in his skull with each pound of the bass. A glance to his right tells him that Yugyeom is probably feeling the same way.

Youngjae taps him on the shoulder. “Hey, do you want to go somewhere quieter?!” he shouts to be heard above the music.

“What?!” Yugyeom shouts back, but Youngjae can see understanding in his eyes.

“It’s too loud here!”

“I need to text Jimin!” Yugyeom pulls his phone out of his pocket.

“Who’s Jimin?!” Youngjae tilts his head.

“My date!”

And, just like that, Youngjae’s good mood shrivels up and dies. “Oh,” he mumbles, his arm going slack, letting his glass hang by his fingertips. Even if Yugyeom could hear him, he’s completed focused on his phone. Youngjae makes a beeline for the exit, dropping his drink on a table as he goes.

When he finally gets outside, his ears are ringing and his head feels like it’s been stuffed with cotton. The harsh bite of the cold air goes a long way in clearing his mind though. Tightening his coat around his body, Youngjae puts his head down and starts to make his way back home.

“Oi! Choi Youngjae!”

Youngjae stops in his tracks. The sound of the snow crunching under quick footfalls is his only warning before he’s grabbed by the shoulder and spun around 180°. White tendrils escape Yugyeom’s nose and mouth with each huff and puff of breath he takes and his entire body is shaking slightly, probably because he’s not wearing a coat.

“Why’d you just run out like that?” Yugyeom frowns, placing his other hand on Youngjae’s shoulder.

Youngjae takes a step back in an attempt to dislodge the other man’s hands, but Yugyeom stubbornly holds onto him. “Go back inside, you freezing,” Youngjae pushes Yugyeom’s hands off his shoulders. He can’t help but feel worried at how cold they are to the touch.

“No, not until you tell me what happened,” Yugyeom insists through trembling lips.

Youngjae heaves a sigh. “Look, I’m not…I can’t always tell if someone’s interested in me or just being friendly, but I thought you were…”

“That what?”

Youngjae shakes his head, “Then you said you came as someone else’s date and-”

“Oh, is that what’s-Youngjae, I can assure you that Jimin and I are not a thing. The only reason she brought me along was because her parents said it wouldn’t be good for her to come alone and she hasn’t yet had the heart to tell them that both of their children are gay,” Yugyeom says significantly. “She ditched me almost immediately after we got here.”

“Oh,” Youngjae blinks.

Yugyeom’s lips curl up in a smile. “I can also assure you that I am-ACHOO!” Yugyeom’s entire body shudders.

“We’re going back inside,” Youngjae pushes him back towards the building. “You were so stupid to come outside without a coat, or even a scarf or some gloves.”

“I wasn’t sure I’d be able to catch up with you if I did,” Yugyeom sighs in relief once they enter the warm building. “Besides, it was more dramatic that way, much more fitting with the soap opera that is your life,” he chuckles with a glint in his eyes.

“You know what, Jimin can have you, gay or not,” Youngjae turns back towards the door.

Youngjae is stopped once more by a hand on his shoulder. “Shut up and dance with me,” Yugyeom smiles, holding out his other hand.

Youngjae takes it.

“You know, I’m not going to disappear, you don’t have to hold onto my hand so tightly,” Yugyeom smirks as they head back into the wedding hall.

“I’m just warming it up, it’s still cold,” Youngjae shrugs. He rubs his thumb over the back of Yugyeom’s hand; Yugyeom reciprocates with a gentle squeeze.

While Youngjae has never been known for his prowess as a dancer, Yugyeom turns out to be a full-on dancing machine, smoothly moving his body with effortless grace. He throws himself into his moves so much that his whole aura changes; he’s almost like a different person, he looks so different. Unconsciously, Youngjae takes a few steps away from him, all too aware of how ill-matched they must look next together, but Yugyeom isn’t having it.

“I said dance with me,” he pulls Youngjae closer and wraps his arms around his waist.

At such close distance the two of them can only rock and sway with the beat, and they probably stick out like sore thumbs in the crowd, but Youngjae really can’t be arsed to care. He doesn’t know what it is about Yugyeom, but he can feel his confidence growing with each minute he spends in the other man’s arms. After a few songs, he finally feels relaxed enough to start dancing again for real-or trying to, at least.

“I’m gonna go get myself a drink. What should I get for you, Mr. Dance Prodigy?” Yugyeom asks about half an hour later.

“You can get out of my face,” Youngjae pushes him.

“I’ll see if the bartender has heard of that one,” he chuckles.

About ten minutes later, Youngjae gets his drink, though not from the man who went to get it.

“Hey, Youngjae! I was hoping to see you on the dancefloor,” Jackson says with a bright grin, somehow managing to wrap Youngjae up in a hug without spilling the drinks he’s holding down Youngaje’s back.

“Oh, hi,” Youngjae laughs in surprise.

“You having fun?”

“Yes, I definitely enjoying myself,” Youngjae nods before he takes a healthy gulp of his water.

“I thought you seemed kind of down earlier today, so that’s good to hear. How do you know Yugyeom, by the way?” Jackson asks, his gaze turned to Yugyeom and Jaebum as the two engage in what looks like an impromptu dance-off. Youngjae watches them with interest, not entirely sure who he’s rooting for to win.

“Yugyeom is…my date,” he smiles.

p: youngjae/yugyeom, *one shot

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